Join Us

Many of our barristers are the undisputed leaders in their field and represent clients at every level up to the European Court. We appear in high profile and challenging cases in the UK and abroad. Many of our members are recognised as leaders in their field by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.

We're leading the future of the law, find out how you can join us below.

TENANCY

Why should you join us?

We particularly encourage applications from members of groups which are under-represented at the bar, and are committed to maintaining compliance with the Bar's Equality and Diversity code. We will make reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities. Applications will be treated in confidence and should be sent to Paul Epstein: pje@cloisters.com or 020 7827 4012

Vacancies

Our experts advise a full spectrum of clients from individuals to multi-national companies across all sectors, as well as regulators and public bodies.

Many of our barristers are the undisputed leaders in their field and represent clients at every level up to the European Court.

We always welcome tenancy applications from quality practitioners. We look for: Evidence of commitment to or special expertise in one or more of Cloisters' practice area Evidence of an established client base or practise Evidence of earnings of a broadly comparable level to a member of Cloisters in relevantly similar circumstances (such as a call bracket and practice areas), having regard to individual factors such as past career breaks and professional isolation in a candidate's present set.

We are expanding our team and invite applications from exceptional juniors practioners of all calls to join any of our 8 disciplines, these include; Employment/Discrimination, Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence, Human Rights/Public Law, Regulatory/Disciplinary, Sports and Entertainment, Medical Law/Court of Protection, Data Protection/Privacy and Commercial Law.

For further details or for a confidential discussion, please contact Paul Epstein QC on 020 7827 4012.

PUPILLAGE

Why should you apply to cloisters?

We welcome applications from outstanding candidates of all backgrounds and academic disciplines.

Cloisters is renowned for its pioneering work as well as being down to earth and practical. We are a supportive and nurturing set where everyone is given the opportunity to thrive and become the best in their field.

We see our role as educating, supporting and developing our pupils in line with Cloisters' values which focus on commitment to excellence and delivering exceptional results for the people at the heart of our work. We keep in mind the aims, philosophy and ethos of pupillage and its professional and educational values.

Pupillage at Cloisters is split into four quarters, with a different supervisor for each one. All members of chambers are encouraged to become supervisors once they meet the qualifying period of practice which ensures that we have a wide range of supervisors of different calls, practice areas and personalities. In addition to working with and for supervisors, pupils are encouraged to do work for other members of chambers and to undertake pro bono work through FRU or law centres.

Our pupils are expected to see all areas of our work during their pupillage, which is normally organised through a choice of supervisors. Pupils are told who their supervisor will be shortly before each quarter begins. That choice is informed in part by what pupils have seen and experienced during pupillage so that all relevant areas of the pupillage checklist are covered. There is a formal appraisal at the end of each quarter, in addition to the feedback given throughout pupillage by supervisors.

The tenancy decision is based on a series of assessed tasks undertaken during the second six months (drafting, legal research, advocacy, interview) and feedback from supervisors, barristers the pupil has worked for, clients, opponents and clerks. The tasks are assessed against objective criteria. Each of the five areas is given roughly equal weight. A minimum of 70% is required for a pupil to be recommended for tenancy. If a pupil receives a mark of 80% or above they will be recommended for tenancy. While this is a challenging process for pupils, we believe that this system provides a fair and objective assessment of their skills. It means that we do not have a set number of tenancies to offer, the number we offer varies with the achievement of the individual pupils. If a pupil receives a mark between 70%-80% then the recommendation is at the discretion of the Tenancy Committee. Whatever the mark, a chambers meeting will be held where chambers as a whole will decide whether or not to endorse the Tenancy Committee recommendation.

How to apply

Cloisters will only accept applications for pupillage which are made through the Bar Council's Online Pupillage Application Scheme known as The Pupillage Gateway. Application forms and further information, including full details of the Pupillage Gateway timetable, may be obtained from the Pupillage Gateway website.

We welcome applications from those coming late to the Bar, who may not be required to undertake the full pupillage requirement. Should you require any further information about making an application in such circumstances, please contact Alessandra Fanone.

Cloisters does not offer unfunded or sponsored pupillages.

When to apply

Applications for pupillage starting in 2020 will close on Thursday 7 February at 11am

Funding

The pupillage award for 2020 will be £54,000, half of which is guaranteed earnings. Pupils can also ask for an advance of up to £8,000.

Contact us about pupillage

All enquiries about pupillage should be sent by email to pupillage@cloisters.com﻿

MINI-PUPILLAGE AND OPEN EVENING

Overview

Cloisters offers up to ten mini-pupillages per year. Mini-pupillages last three days, although they can be shorter if required. All applicants must have completed at least their first year at university in any subject. Successful applicants are selected on the basis of the strength of their application forms.

Please note that completion of a mini-pupillage is not a condition of applying for pupillage at Cloisters.

Mini-pupillages

Applications for mini-pupillages are now closed.

Applications will re-open towards the spring or summer of 2019. All applications must be made using the Cloisters application form which will be made available to download from our website. Please do not send additional documentation as this will not be considered.

The deadline for mini-pupillage applications in 2019 is likely to be the end of summer 2019. Any applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

We aim to write to all applicants by mid-October 2019 to inform them whether or not their application has been successful.

Mini-pupillages in 2019 will be held in October, November and December 2019. Applicants who are successful in obtaining a mini-pupillage and who are applying for pupillage via the 2020 Pupillage Gateway will be given priority to select the dates of their mini-pupillage so that they can incorporate this experience into their pupillage applications if they wish to do so.

Any queries about the application process should be directed to minipupils@cloisters.com

Equality & diversity scheme

At Cloisters, we are committed to making the Bar more accessible as a profession. Five of our ten mini-pupillages are reserved for applicants from less advantaged backgrounds, or applicants who have a disability, or applicants who have/have had caring responsibilities. More information on how to be considered for an Equality and Diversity mini-pupillage will be included on the Cloisters mini-pupillage application form.

If you choose to be considered for one of our five Equality and Diversity mini-pupillages, you will still automatically be considered for a mini-pupillage outside the Equality and Diversity scheme.

Any information you provide in relation to the Equality and Diversity mini-pupillage scheme will not be shared with members of Chambers who are not involved in the selection process (although the information is collated in anonymised form for monitoring purposes).

Stipend

Our mini pupillages pay a total stipend of £120 for three days. However, we recognise that some applicants may require a higher stipend in order to undertake a mini-pupillage with us, e.g. if you are travelling a long distance to come to London. If you consider that you may require a higher stipend, there is an opportunity for you to state this on the mini-pupillage application form. Decisions about increased stipends will be made on a case by case basis.

Open evening

Cloisters often receives many mini-pupillage applications, and it is not possible to offer a mini-pupillage to every deserving candidate. In order to give the most promising candidates an opportunity to come to Cloisters, meet our barristers, and learn more about the work we do, Cloisters holds an open evening each year, usually in January, for particularly strong mini-pupillage candidates to whom we unfortunately could not offer a mini-pupillage.

Please be aware that attendance at Open Evenings is by invitation only. In order to obtain an invitation, you must have applied for a mini-pupillage and have been regarded as a particularly strong candidate.

RECRUITMENT

Vacancies

Vacancies for staff posts and temporary assignments will be posted on this page. Staff positions will normally also be advertised externally. If you have a general enquiry please contact the Chambers Manager on: 020 7827 4041

Work experience

We aim to provide at least four work experience places each year. We welcome applications for work experience. However, we can only consider applications made through schemes run by schools and local education authorities. If you are interested please contact the Chambers Manager on: 020 7827 4041